April 23, 2021

Dear Network Members and Colleagues,

We would like to share with you the latest APLN commentary, Security Council Resolution 1540 (2004): Significance and Gaps by Professor Masahiko Asada of International Law at the Kyoto University Graduate School of Law.

On 28 April 2004, the UN Security Council unanimously voted to adopt Resolution 1540, a measure aimed at preventing non-state actors from acquiring nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons, their means of delivery, and related materials. The resolution filled a gap in international law by addressing the risk that terrorists might obtain, proliferate, or use weapons of mass destruction.

With committee reviews having been delayed due to COVID-19, Professor Asada assesses the significance and relevance of Resolution 1540 ahead of the renewal of the committee’s mandate on 25 April 2021.

On 15 April, Yun Sun, Senior Fellow and Co-Director of the East Asia Program and Director of the China Program at the Stimson Center, wrote for APLN in The Korea Times. In “Is War over Taiwan Imminent?”, Yun Sun weighs the plausibility of different options as tensions over the Taiwan Strait rise.

Yun Sun argues that a delicate balance of power and varying intentions and assumptions make peace over the Taiwan Strait precarious. She elaborates that while China may not use military force now, there are ongoing debates within China on using American hesitation and its “strategic ambiguity” position to take action on Taiwan sooner rather than later, signalling future shifts in China’s Taiwan policy.